Panthers to start several new players

Just 12 of 31 players on roster returning from last season

By Scott Richey
Sports Editor

Brett Nommensen has a hard time noticing familiar faces from his spot in center field.

The junior is one of only three returning starters from last year’s Eastern baseball team. And he’s also the only returning starter that stayed at the position he played last season.

Junior Jordan Kreke, who had played mainly second and third base in a reserve role, is now the Panthers’ starting shortstop. Sophomore Richie Derbak, primarily Eastern’s second baseman last year, is now behind the plate as Eastern’s starting catcher.

Nommensen can glance into the dugout and see the same scenario. New players.

A quick look to the left into the bullpen and Nommensen will see the same thing. New players.

Eastern will start the 2008 season with three games against Southeast Louisiana this Friday through Sunday in Hammond, La., and the Panthers will do so with 19 new players on a team picked Tuesday to finish sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Eastern head baseball coach Jim Schmitz said working the new players into the system was a worry during the fall, but the team had several functions like softball games and bowling parties to get the players more acclimated to each other.

“If you don’t like each other or know each other well, and it takes half the season to get to know each other, well now you’re behind,” Schmitz said.

Nommensen said one of the biggest obstacles was the new players had to learn all the plays the team has for different situations. He said this wasn’t an issue last season because the team was primarily seniors.

But, Nommensen does point out an advantage.

“It’s nice because the other teams we play might not know much about (the new players) and how to pitch to them,” Nommensen said.

Derbak said the team activities worked because they were not related to baseball, but rather to camaraderie and having a good time.

Derbak’s head coach agreed.

“Right now I’m very happy,” Schmitz said. “They seem to know each other. The moves we made, we made early, so they know and they feel comfortable with it. How we play together is something we’ll figure out as we move on.”

The Panthers will move on with six new starters. The biggest question at this point for Eastern is who will start in the corner outfield positions. Schmitz said four players, junior transfer Ryan Lindquist (Elgin Community College), senior transfer Kyle Wilson (Indianapolis), freshman Neil Wright and sophomore Curt Restko (a returning player), are competing for the two starting positions.

“The outfield is as wide open as can be,” Schmitz said. “We don’t have anyone that’s kind of stealing the show.”

“If you bunt well, you might play,” Schmitz said. “None of them bunted well today.”

Derbak said the wide-open race for different positions has created a good level of competition among the team.

Nommensen said junior transfer Jordan Tokarz, another new player from Elgin Community College, is the only newcomer that has a set position.

“Everyone’s got a shot, and whoever comes out and plays will get a spot,” Nommensen said.

The Panthers strength might come in the infield. Torkarz is projected to start at second base. Schmitz said Tokarz has shown the most improvement of the transfer players.

“I think Tokarz and Kreke have really worked well together,” Schmitz said. “That’s a hard match, the double play combination.”

The Panthers have four players in competition for a starting spot at first base. Schmitz said that number is far too many.

The leading candidate is senior Evansville transfer Tristan Facer, who will also be the team’s No. 1 pitcher. Schmitz said Facer has the chance to hit for power, and that is something Eastern needs.

“We’d love to have a corner outfielder hit the hell out of the ball, but we don’t have it,” Schmitz said. “(Facer) is able to really give us a little bit of pop at first base.”

The starting third baseman is down to a two-man race between junior transfer Zach Skidmore (Parkland Community College) and freshman Sean Estand. Schmitz said Estand was the lead candidate in the fall, but he has not played as well in the spring.

“(Estand) is really struggling,” Schmitz said. “We haven’t played a game, but in our scrimmages, he’s struggling. Going into the season we don’t like having as many question marks, but we do and that’s what we have to deal with.”

Freshmen will make up the bulk of the Panthers’ starting pitching staff, besides Facer.

Josh Mueller and Mike Hoekstra, both freshmen, are also projected to be starters.

Schmitz said Mueller would start Saturday’s game against Southeast Louisiana.

“(I’m) definitely excited about the way he commands the strike zone,” Schmitz said. “He keeps the ball down in the zone, and he really has a good mound presence.”

Derbak said he relates well to the young staff because he was a freshman pitcher last year.

“We have a lot of young arms,” Derbak said, “but we have a lot of talent.”

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